Crowd 'clubbed with batons, feared for their lives'
Wednesday May 08 2002
One of the protestors, Oly Leung from Ranelagh in Dublin, said he received six stitches to a wound after he was hit on the back of the head with a baton on Burgh Quay.
His friend, motorcycle courier John Kelly from Rathmines said he feared for his life after he was struck on the head and had his hand broken. "I didn't provoke anyone and was trying to leave the area when I was hit," he told the Irish Independent.
"I mustn't have been moving quickly enough because all I remember is being hit with a baton and blood running down my face," said Mr Kelly. Italian Daniel Nararachetti from Florence and his Spanish girlfriend Carolina Salas also claimed they were struck over the head and arms as they took part in the demonstration near the Central Bank.
Mr Nararachetti said that he was injured as he attempted to help a man who was being beaten on the ground. He said he was struck on the hand by a baton as he tried to intervene and his finger was broken.
The couple said they were standing on the footpath at the time and had not been taking part in any disturbances.
Cliona Carberry (17) from Whitehall, Dublin said she watched at the Central Bank as a girl, who she said looked about 12 years old, was hit across the legs and hip by a baton.
Cliona said she herself was then hit twice over the head as she tried to help the younger girl.
A 19-year-old TCD student, Claudia Schwartz from Germany, told of watching a male demonstrator being beaten.
"He was lying on the ground, but still being hit repeatedly across the head by a garda with a baton," claimed Ms Schwartz. Also among those hurt was Irish Independent photographer Steve Humphreys who said gardai prevented him filming the protest, breaking part of his camera.
Gardai charged him with two public order offences but Mr Humphreys said he would be denying both charges. "You're all the f**king same, anything for a cheap story," a garda allegedly said to Mr Humphreys as he was being arrested.
Mr Humphreys said a garda twisted his finger at one stage.
According to reporter Gerald Flynn, about eight or 10 gardai appeared to overreact with a baton melee while most of their colleagues used less violent means to deal about 200 protesters and environmental activists trying to disrupt traffic flow.
- Fergus Black
